City Plans to Replace Aging Tornado Sirens

McKENZIE (March 28) — The City of McKenzie’s three aging outdoor sirens are in disrepair with one working consistently and one sporadically.

Mayor Ryan Griffin said the city is working to install a new network of five tornado sirens, assuming a grant is received to help pay for those.

The city is seeking $200,000 in state disaster mitigation funds for the estimated $187,000 cost for the five sirens and another $800,000 for the repair of Kencindot Street that partially washed out the major connector street between State Route 124 (Cedar Street) and State Route 436 (Cherrywood Road). Mayor Griffin said the application for the grant started during the Mayor Jill Holland administration and is still an ongoing request for funding. The state’s mitigation funds are heavily taxed by the flooding in East Tennessee and in Obion County, where a levee breached allowing flooding in the area.

McKenzie subscribed to an emergency alert system to warn area residents of certain dangers and severe weather.

Mayor Ryan Griffin said the Everbridge alert system is used for mass notification of severe weather, missing persons, active shooters, hazardous material spills, etc.

You may register for notifications at https://member.everbridge.net/311715841441968/new.

The City of Milan is one of the area municipalities using the system. Griffin said the system costs the city $2,500.

The system can call or text a cell phone or use a traditional landline for a call.